A first stay at a Reading boarder or day care
Reading's 15 listed dog boarders and day-care businesses range from a purpose-built unit — Rags & Bert's in Tilehurst, open weekdays 7.30am to 6.30pm — to individual home boarders licensed by Wokingham, South Oxfordshire, Reading and West Berkshire councils who take a dog into their own house. Whichever kind you choose, a first stay goes more smoothly with a little preparation, and the questions worth asking beforehand are much the same whether it's a single day of day care or a fortnight's boarding.
Before you book
Ask for a trial day or a short meet-and-greet before committing to a full stay, especially with a home boarder, so your dog can get used to the household or premises while you're still nearby. For day care, a single trial day is usually enough to see how your dog settles into the group or the routine; for overnight boarding, ask whether a shorter first stay is possible before a longer one. Ask what the business needs from you in advance: proof of vaccination, an emergency contact, your vet's details and any medication instructions in writing.
What to pack
- Your dog's usual food, measured out for each day, plus a couple of days' spare in case collection is delayed.
- Any medication, clearly labelled with dosage and timing.
- A lead, collar or harness with an up-to-date ID tag.
- A bed, blanket or toy that smells like home, if your dog has one it's attached to.
- A written note of your dog's routine: feeding times, walk length, anything that tends to unsettle it.
A good handover
A good handover is unhurried: the person taking your dog should ask questions rather than simply take the lead and say goodbye. Expect to confirm the collection date and time in writing, and to be told how you'll be contacted if anything comes up — a photo, a message, or only a call if there's a problem. For a home boarder, remember the exact address is normally given only once you've booked, since it is somebody's house rather than a business premises, so agree how you'll find the way on the first visit.
Collection
Ask in advance how the last day of a stay is charged — some home boarders in this directory price a stay by the 24-hour period rather than the calendar night, so collecting later than agreed can add a further charge. A short debrief at collection, on how your dog ate, slept and settled, is worth asking for even if it isn't offered, and is a reasonable thing to expect from any of the businesses listed here.
If it doesn't go to plan
If your dog seems distressed at collection, or a business can't answer straightforward questions about the stay plainly, that's useful information even if nothing went visibly wrong — you're not obliged to book with the same business again. Most first stays go well; a short, honest debrief either way makes the next one easier to arrange, whether that's with the same boarder or a different one.